The Hampton National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) Consortium planning grant is designed to provide an innovative approach to networking and mentorship experiences for individuals from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical/behavioral research from the undergraduate to junior-faculty level. It will bring together successful, but currently disparate mentoring and networking programs from geographically and racially/ethnically diverse entities, representing different missions and organizational goals. The mission of the proposed Consortium will be to recruit individuals into the biomedical, behavioral and clinical research enterprise to facilitate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries and clinical observations within NIH's scientific mission bi-directionally between bench and bedside. The vision of the consortium is to transform good outcomes to great outcomes by implementing the following aims. Aim 1: Implement a six-month planning initiative leading td Hampton University's (HU) establishment of partnerships among institutions of higher learning, professional associations as well as mentoring organizations to create a national mentoring network. Aim 2: Assess existing mentoring strategies that can be effectively coordinated and delivered on a national basis, and develop new programs as needed. Aim 3; Delineate innovative mentoring methods, including social media mechanisms, that will be integrated into the five-year NRMN award proposal. To achieve the aims herein, the following methods will be implemented: (1) a representative democratic governance structure will be adapted with strong emphasis on consensus building for decision-making; (2) assessment of mentoring needs and evidenced-based best practices for the target communities of mentees and mentors; (3) determination of leading edge mentoring innovations; and (4) the design of a strong social media background to facilitate and provide access to mentee-to mentee and mentee-to-mentor networks. The outcomes of implementing these planning grant activities will provide the data needed to prepare a competitive NRMN mentoring grant application. In sum, completing the vision of the Hampton NRMN Consortium will lead to an increase in.the pool of independent biomedical researchers, which will significantly contribute to the diversity of the future research workforce.